Image reading apparatus and image forming apparatus

1. An image reading apparatus comprising: a main body including a document receiving portion configured to receive a document from which an image is to be read; an image reader configured to move, along an under surface of the document receiving portion, between a first position located below a first end of the document receiving portion and a second position located below a second end, opposite to the first end, of the document receiving portion, the image reader being configured to read the image of the document received on the document receiving portion while moving in a predetermined direction; a controller disposed in the main body and configured to control image reading operations of the image reader; a cable having a first end fixed to a bottom surface of the main body below the second position and connected to the controller, and a second end connected to the image reader, wherein the cable includes an extension portion extending along the bottom surface of the main body in a direction parallel to a moving direction of the image reader when the image reader is in the first position; and a pair of protrusions in predetermined positions on the extension portion, one of the pair of protrusions protruding outward from one side of the cable in a width direction thereof and the other one of the pair of protrusions protruding outward from the other side of the cable in the width direction, wherein a regulation protrusion protrudes upward to a predetermined height from the bottom surface of the main body and is disposed in a position that is closer to the first position than the second position, and wherein the regulation protrusion is disposed outside the cable in the width direction such that no portion of the regulation protrusion overlaps the cable as viewed in a direction perpendicular to both the width direction of the cable and the moving direction of the image reader, and further such that, when the image reader moves toward the second position, the regulation protrusion regulates parallel movement of the pair of protrusions along the bottom surface of the main body and allows at least one of the pair of protrusions to move past an upper portion of the regulation protrusion in the moving direction of the image reader.

2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the regulation protrusion includes a rib.

3. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when the image reader is in the first position, there is a gap of a predetermined distance between the at least one of the pair of protrusions and the regulation protrusion.

4. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when the image reader moves toward the second position, the cable moves in parallel along the bottom surface, and the at least one of the pair of protrusions contacts the regulation protrusion, and wherein, when the image reader moves further toward the second position from a state where the at least one of the pair of protrusions contacts the regulation protrusion, the at least one of the pair of protrusions rotates upward about a contact point where the at least one of the pair of protrusions contacts the regulation protrusion, and breaks contact with the regulation protrusion allowing the cable to follow movement of the image reader toward the second position.

5. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a film that is affixed to a surface of the cable, the film including the pair of protrusions and having a longer width than the cable.

6. The image reading apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising: a positioning member provided on the bottom surface of the main body and configured to function as a marker, wherein the film is affixed to the surface of the cable relative to the positioning member, wherein the positioning member is disposed in a position separated from an end of the regulation protrusion in a direction toward the first position by a sum of a gap between the at least one of the pair of protrusions and the regulation protrusion and a dimension of the film along a direction where the cable extends.

7. The image reading apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the positioning member includes a rib protruding upward from the bottom surface of the main body, and wherein the rib is disposed such that an end of the rib facing the second position is spaced away from the end of the regulation protrusion in a direction toward the first position by the sum of the gap between the at least one of the pair of protrusions and the regulation protrusion and the dimension of the film along the direction where the cable extends.

8. An image reading apparatus comprising: a document receiving portion configured to receive a document from which an image is to be read; an image reader configured to move between a first position located at a first end of the document receiving portion and a second position located at a second end, opposite to the first end, of the document receiving portion, the image reader being configured to read the image of the document received on the document receiving portion while moving in a predetermined direction; a cable having one end connected to the image reader; a first cable protrusion having a portion disposed on a surface of the cable, the first cable protrusion protruding outward from the cable in a width direction of the cable; a cable receiving member having a cable receiving surface configured to receive the cable; and a first regulation protrusion protruding upward to a predetermined height from the cable receiving surface and disposed in a position closer to the first position than second position, as viewed in the width direction of the cable, and wherein the first regulation protrusion is disposed outside the cable in the width direction such that no portion of the first regulation protrusion overlaps the cable as viewed in a direction perpendicular to both the width direction of the cable and the predetermined direction of the image reader, and further such that, when the image reader moves in the predetermined direction from the first position to the second position, the first regulation protrusion regulates parallel movement of the first cable protrusion along the cable receiving surface in the predetermined direction, and allows the first cable protrusion to move past an upper portion of the first regulation protrusion in the predetermined direction of the image reader.

9. The image reading apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the first regulation protrusion includes a rib.

10. The image reading apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein, when the image reader further moves in the predetermined direction from a state where the first cable protrusion contacts the first regulation protrusion, the first cable protrusion moves away from the cable receiving surface and the first regulation protrusion.

11. The image reading apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising a second cable protrusion having a portion disposed on a surface of the cable, the second cable protrusion protruding outward from the cable in a direction opposite to the first cable protrusion, wherein the first cable protrusion, the second cable protrusion and the first regulation protrusion are configured such that, when the image reader moves in the predetermined direction from the first position to the second position, the first cable protrusion and the second cable protrusion move a predetermined distance in the predetermined direction and at least one of the first cable protrusion and the second cable protrusion contacts the first regulation protrusion, and the first regulation protrusion regulates a further movement of the first cable protrusion and the second cable protrusion in the predetermined direction.

12. The image reading apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising a film having a longer width than that of the cable, wherein the film is fixed to the cable, and includes the first cable protrusion and the second cable protrusion.

13. The image reading apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising a second regulation protrusion protruding from the cable receiving surface in a position opposite to the first regulation protrusion, wherein, when the image reader is in the first position, the cable passes between the first regulation protrusion and the second regulation protrusion, and the first regulation protrusion and the second regulation protrusion are spaced apart from the first cable protrusion and the second cable protrusion, respectively, by the predetermined distance, and wherein, when the image reader moves in the predetermined direction from the first position, the first cable protrusion and the second cable protrusion move by the predetermined distance in the predetermined direction and contact the first regulation protrusion and the second regulation protrusion, respectively.

14. The image reading apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein, when the image reader moves in the predetermined direction from a state where the first cable protrusion and the second cable protrusion contact the first regulation protrusion and the second regulation protrusion respectively, the first cable protrusion and the second cable protrusion rotate about a contact point where the first cable protrusion and the second cable protrusion contact the first regulation protrusion and the second regulation protrusion such that the first cable protrusion and the second cable protrusion move away from the cable receiving surface and break contact with the first regulation protrusion and the second regulation protrusion allowing the cable to follow the movement of the image reader toward the second position.

15. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image reading unit including: a document receiving portion configured to receive a document from which an image is to be read; an image reader configured to move between a first position located at a first end of the document receiving portion and a second position located at a second end, opposite to the first end, of the document receiving portion, the image reader being configured to read the image of the document received on the document receiving portion while moving in a predetermined direction; a cable having one end connected to the image reader; a first cable protrusion protruding outward from the cable in a width direction of the cable; a cable receiving member having a cable receiving surface configured to receive the cable; and a first regulation protrusion protruding upward to a predetermined height from the cable receiving surface and disposed in a position closer to the first position than the second position, as viewed in the width direction of the cable, and wherein the first regulation protrusion is disposed outside the cable in the width direction such that no portion of the first regulation protrusion overlaps the cable as viewed in a direction perpendicular to both the width direction of the cable and the predetermined direction of the image reader, and further such that, when the image reader moves in the predetermined direction from the first position to the second position, the first regulation protrusion regulates parallel movement of the first cable protrusion along the cable receiving surface in the predetermined direction, and allows the first cable protrusion to move past an upper portion of the regulation protrusion in the predetermined direction of the image reader; and an image forming unit configured to form the image of the document read by the image reading unit on a recording medium.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15 , further comprising a second cable protrusion protruding outward from the cable in a direction opposite to the first cable protrusion, wherein the first cable protrusion, the second cable protrusion and the first regulation protrusion are configured such that, when the image reader moves in the predetermined direction from the first position to the second position, the first cable protrusion and the second cable protrusion move a predetermined distance in the predetermined direction and at least one of the first cable protrusion and the second cable protrusion contacts the first regulation protrusion, and the first regulation protrusion regulates a further movement of the first cable protrusion and the second cable protrusion in the predetermined direction.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 16 , further comprising a film having a longer width than that of the cable, wherein the film is fixed to the cable, and includes the first cable protrusion and the second cable protrusion.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 16 , further comprising a second regulation protrusion protruding from the cable receiving surface in a position opposite to the first regulation protrusion, wherein, when the image reader is in the first position, the cable passes between the first regulation protrusion and the second regulation protrusion, and the first regulation protrusion and the second regulation protrusion are spaced apart from the first cable protrusion and the second cable protrusion, respectively, by the predetermined distance, and wherein, when the image reader moves in the predetermined direction from the first position, the first cable protrusion and the second cable protrusion move the predetermined distance in the predetermined direction and contact the first regulation protrusion and the second regulation protrusion, respectively.

19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein, when the image reader moves in the predetermined direction from a state where the first cable protrusion and the second cable protrusion contact the first regulation protrusion and the second regulation protrusion respectively, the first cable protrusion and the second cable protrusion rotate about a contact point where the first cable protrusion and the second cable protrusion contact the first regulation protrusion and the second regulation protrusion such that the first cable protrusion and the second cable protrusion move away from the cable receiving surface and break contact with the first regulation protrusion and the second regulation protrusion allowing the cable to follow the movement of the image reader toward the second position.